


this love surpasses all understanding

by ansonwish



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: And sometimes they have to face them, Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic, F/M, Handcuffed Together, Hurt/Comfort, Injured Johnny, Maxine and Johnny have feelings but only sometimes, Protective Maxine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 06:44:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14910350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ansonwish/pseuds/ansonwish
Summary: In which Maxine and Johnny wonder how much they really claim to hate each other. Sometimes you learn to appreciate someone more than you thought you did when you can't leave their side.





	this love surpasses all understanding

**Author's Note:**

> I binged the archive of NXT: Redemption that was online and I found my love for this couple really kicked up. This is set during late May 2012, in a timeline where Maxine and Johnny never lost the cuffs as quickly as they actually did.

Johnny Curtis doesn't know much for certain, but he does know that he hates Maxine. And why wouldn't he? It wasn't always like that, obviously, he wasn't with her because she benefited him in terms of his career. It was more complicated than that, and he didn't care to dwell on the past. All he knew for certain was that he was glad to be rid of her after all the chaos he went through to get her in the first place.

Maxine couldn't exactly say that she disagreed. Johnny was, in nice terms, a complete idiot. She had listened to his nonsense for so long, rolling her eyes so much at him that she felt like they were being strained. But she, like Johnny, hadn't been with him just because he benefited her, because he really didn't. He was Smackdown’s biggest waste of space, so that wasn't exactly projecting her into the stratosphere any. There was more there, which they didn't sit and talk about. It was easier that way.

Not all good things last though. Their post-breakup animosity had captured the attention of the wrong people, which was the very last thing they wanted. If it had gotten the attention of the fans or the guys backstage, that would have been fine. Attention is attention, even if it's not too positive.

It was their superiors that took notice, and they didn't need their bosses stalking them like hawks while they were trying to prove themselves enough to get up to the main roster. Regal seemed to take an interest in their constant fighting, which was never ever good, because Regal was smart enough to try and make life worse for it.

They were so naïve when they signed that contract, thinking it was their out and they’d get to be away from each other, but no, of course not. Nothing was ever simple in NXT — if things were, Maxine and Johnny might wonder if they showed up at the wrong place.

The silvery click of handcuffs closing over their wrists was enough to make them both recoil. They weren't even allowed to consider asking for a key unless they wanted to lose their jobs. That would have been admittedly worse than being cuffed together. They both looked at this new feat in horror, knowing that they wanted one thing and that was to be as far away from each other as they could. Now they were linked at the wrist, and they had to tough it for as long as Regal wanted. That could have been years for all they knew. 

Getting around work was fine. Maxine usually just dragged Johnny around, but sometimes they found themselves walking at the same pace rather comfortably. Wrestling was fantastic because they were allowed to leave the cuffs. At least the company saw reason in that aspect.

There was a rule in the contract that they didn't notice. Maxine wishes that they had actually read the damn thing before signing it. There were more stipulations to it than she expected. They didn't need to be handcuffed when they left work, but they were meant to stay together under every possible circumstance. If they weren't literally attached, they had to be figuratively attached.

Sharing a hotel room wasn't anything new to them, but after everything went down, it was unusual to do it again. They got two beds, thankfully, but they couldn't be apart. They had to stay together in the hotel room, and if they left, they had to leave together. It was a nightmare for Johnny, who had accompanied Maxine on one too many nail appointments. He didn't mind that one time they went for massages though, except for when the ladies mistook them for a couple and treated them as such for two hours. 

Domesticity was never their strong suit. It never had been. Even when they roomed together when they were dating, they both knew they sucked at it. Maybe it wasn't what they needed. Maxine and Johnny couldn't cook for each other, and they had a hell of a time deciding on what movies to watch to pass time. At least they did the bare minimum. They could handle the awkward silences well, and Maxine was good at reminding Johnny that he needed to take his meds when she took hers. 

Sometimes they forgot the obligations to their contract when they left the room, which caused a lot of panic for them if anyone saw and reported them to Regal. The contract was incredibly strict, saying that if there was credible proof that they were separated before it was decided they could split up, they would be fired on the spot.

Johnny and Maxine were not stupid. They valued their careers more than they valued the people around them, and they were practically fuelled by spite as a unit. Even if they hated what they had to do, they’d sooner stay together until they were old rather than let someone else get them fired. 

Having already dated, they weren't shy about much around each other. Not to say that they ever were before. It becomes slightly easier to manage around one another over time. They've memorized the others order from the three or four restaurants they actually ate at all over again. Their sleeping patterns became more and more similar over the month.

It didn't mean that they loved the arrangement. They just found it tolerable. Maxine found herself not hating it as much as she thought she would, because they both got as much as they could. Johnny was a professional at minding his own business when she told him to. Johnny liked that Maxine tended to keep to herself when she wanted to, and they actually had some pretty stimulating conversation. 

TV can't quite capture exactly how they feel about still being cuffed when they showed up to work. It can't capture how exhausted Maxine gets when Percy or Hawkins feels the need to comment on their situation, or Johnny’s pure hatred when they run into Kaitlyn and Derrick living in their adolescent, disconnected world. He didn't mind having to spend time with Maxine to try and kill their fighting, but being cuffed has made it harder than ever. It was just the sheer force of it. 

“One foot in front of the other, dummy, come on!” Maxine taps his forehead with her fingers, bringing Johnny back into reality. He blinks a few times, trying to ground himself. “What's going on with you?”

“Sorry. Lots on my mind.” Johnny shakes his head, trying to dismiss her comments. His brain’s felt cramped for weeks on end, constantly running over different topics, new ways for them to work around their situation.

“That's a first,” she says, using her free hand to shake out her hair. They're walking down the long stretch of hallway to gorilla, fingers brush against each others every so often. The feeling that they were constantly holding hands was weird. They tried to distance their fingers as much as they could. “Did you take your–”

“Yes, I took them.” Johnny cracks a smile, digging his right elbow into her side, bending her own left arm awkwardly. “Somebody sounds worried about me.”

“Somebody knows how you get when you skip. I’m just trying to avoid getting cuffed to that.” Maxine tries not to sound like a hypocrite, considering both her and Johnny got bad when they skipped their doses, but they had been doing a fine job in avoiding that by reminding the other constantly. “Come on, I want to get this stupid thing off me.”

Johnny and Maxine make their way to the ring — she trails ahead of him as much as the cuffs will allow her to. Johnny stuffs his free hand into his jacket pocket and lets her carry them both down to the commentary desk. The ref takes the key out, undoes the cuffs on both wrists and hands them to Johnny. 

Maxine has a match against Kaitlyn, like always. He knows how much she hates that her matches are getting repetitive when she’s only wrestling the same two people week in and week out. Johnny can't exactly say he understands perfectly, but it wasn't like he hadn't been in the rotation of the same five opponents for months. NXT had been lacking real competition for a while, and Maxine was reaching her boiling point.

She climbs into the ring, runs her hands over her black leotard, pushing creases out of it. She leans back against the ropes, eyes fixed at the ramp as Kaitlyn makes her way to the ring. Johnny and Maxine can both tell that Derrick was backstage watching them. 

Johnny takes his place on commentary like he was meant to do. He wasn't allowed to leave ringside if Maxine was wrestling to ensure that he didn't leave the building when they were uncuffed. The same applied to Maxine when he wrestled. Neither of them thought it made any sense, but the company was determined to keep them together.

“Johnny,” Matt Striker gives him the most dismissive greeting, but he knows that Matt thinks his situation is hilarious. “Welcome back to the desk.”

“I feel welcome.” Johnny drops the cuffs on the desk, the metal smacks against the surface loudly. He sits back in the chair, trying in vain to pretend the gaudy desk chairs were comfortable. “So what sort of riveting talk do you have for me this week, Matthew?”

“I think we should start with the obvious. You and Maxine have been attached at the hip for a month now. Can we get an update on how that's going for you?”

“It's absolutely spectacular, Matt. I thought I’d hate it, but I’m loving this new arrangement. We’re actually considering getting back together.” Matt gives him an incredulous look, and Johnny cracks up. “I’m kidding! Jeez, been there, done that, not looking to do it again.”

“You had me going there for a minute.” Matt says, shaking his head. Johnny considers it a small victory. “What sort of things do you two have to do when you're contractually obligated to stay together?”

“We do everything together except shower. I go with her when she gets her hair coloured, we get dinner together, and I go shopping with her. I’ve never had less fun in my life, and I’ve been in jail.”

There's a lot to unpack in Johnny’s statement that Matt doesn't quite know where to start. Instead he turns back to the match, watching on as Maxine catches Kaitlyn, her knee driven into her back. 

“You’ve gotta be impressed with Maxine’s skill. Is that something you get to witness too?”

“I’m witnessing it right now, Matt, that's why I’m on here.” He answers rather quickly, resting his chin on his palm and staring at the match. His attention is on Matt’s questions, but he can't help that he keeps watching how she moves. “I’ll give Maxine hell for the fact that she’s rude, patronizing, and full of herself any day of the week, but she's good in that ring. I’m with her in the gym, when she trains, and she's good. She's determined. A hard worker. It’s a couple of her few redeeming qualities.”

In the ring, Maxine locks Kaitlyn in the Dragon Sleeper, pinching her in place with body scissors. Kaitlyn taps out, and rolls out toward the apron, clutching her midsection. Johnny stands up, ready to be cuffed back to her, but it doesn't happen. Instead, Matt announces that Johnny’s going to face Derrick in an impromptu match, which Johnny doesn't like but Maxine does, as she can sit back and relax, relishing in her win. 

Derrick comes out and joins Johnny in the ring, and they have an intense stare down. He couldn't make it more obvious that he was tired of facing Derrick, especially when he kept winning and felt like he deserved to face anyone else. 

“Maxine takes Johnny's place at the commentary table. Maxine, how are you feeling?”

“Better than I was when I walked out here shackled to Curtis, that's for sure. And I, once again, proved that I am better than anyone this show.” She holds her head high, a prideful smile on her face as she leans back in the black chair, making herself comfortable. “It's only a matter of time before they give me an opponent that's gonna feel like competition.”

She watches the match carefully, knowing that Johnny has nothing to prove but that he doesn't want to lose — who does, really? He catches Derrick in a headlock and wrestles him to the canvas, delivering some stiff shots to his face. She finds that she’s smirking. Derrick getting knocked down a peg by anyone is satisfying.

“Maxine, I’m gonna ask you the same thing I asked Johnny. How’s your time together been going?” Matt doesn't look her in the eye when he speaks, which is smart on his part. He doesn't want to catch the look she’s giving him.

“Terrible. Is that what you want to hear?” Matt doesn't respond, so Maxine knows the audience needs to hear more. “He’s a nightmare to be stuck to. You don't know what it’s like to have to do everything with him around, so I’m actually jealous of you.”

“He didn't have much more to say about you either. In fact, he said it’s worse than prison.” Matt says, and Maxine wonders if he’s telling the truth or just trying to stir the pot so the cameras will catch her inevitably scolding him for it. “Has he actually been to prison?”

Maxine wants to laugh, but she doesn't, biting her knuckle and smiling. “He spent two hours in a mall jail because he forgot he put a stupid keychain accessory in his pocket and got busted leaving without paying.”

In the ring, Johnny takes a suplex from Derrick and he recoils against the canvas, rolling out onto the apron to get away from him. As he rises to his feet, Derrick primes for a spear to knock him to the outside. Johnny can already tell. Funny what one can pick up on when you wrestle a guy as many times as they wrestled each other. Johnny moves at the last second and pushes him through the ropes, sending Derrick to the outside, landing in a heap in front of the announce table. A loud laugh leaves Johnny’s mouth, his hands curling around the turnbuckle to gain stability. 

“You know,” Matt starts up again, clueing Maxine back into her duties as a guest on commentary. “Johnny did insult you a lot when he was here—”

“Yes, thank you, Matt. You want to tell me something I don't know?” She snaps, her focus purely on the match. Johnny stretches, gloats on the apron, looking down at Derrick like he was nothing more than a stain. Which, to be fair, he pretty much was.

“Well, he did say that he respects you a great deal as an in-ring competitor, and thinks you’re very determined. I believe he called you a hard worker.” 

Maxine does not open her mouth, because she feels like she forgets how. Where was that kind of honesty in the month they’d been stuck together? If he showed even half of that, she might actually like living with him. Mostly, she just processes it, thinks that it's rather unfair that he was saving that for commentary where she wouldn't even hear it. She rarely rewatched NXT when she could just as easily avoid it. 

“It's good to know he’s not a total liar, and recognizes talent when he sees it.” She shifts in her seat, her posture much straighter than it was before.

Johnny is brawling on the outside with Derrick. He grabs Derrick by the hair and beats his face on the ring apron. Derrick pulls away from it, his back against the ring, clutching his nose, body hunched forward. Johnny climbs up on the apron to get back in and Derrick, for all of his stupidity, does something smart. He grabs Johnny by the ankle and pulls. Johnny falls, his face meets the ring apron hard, his body goes limp on the floor. 

In a flash, Maxine is on her feet, looking over the announce table at Johnny, whose nose has started to bleed rather profusely, but he hasn't made a move to contain it. He hasn't made a move at all. Derrick is safe in the ring, pulling himself up to his feet on the ropes. The ref is counting, he’s at six, Johnny still hasn't moved much. She saw the impact was brutal, not contained, and the fact that he hadn't even tried to wipe his blood sends her into a state she doesn't like. 

The ref counts nine, and Derrick is leaning against the ropes furthest from Johnny. Mostly because he knows that Maxine isn't going to hesitate to slap him if she gets anywhere near him. The ref counts to ten, the bell rings, and Derrick is out of the ring in a flash. 

“This has been a blast, Matt, really. Don't ask me to do this,” She waves a finger at the table. “Again.” Off comes her headset, she drops it with a thud onto the table. The ref is crouched over Johnny, who has started to move slightly, blood dripping into his mouth. 

Maxine rounds the table, thinking less and less with her brain, flying on whatever is telling her is the best thing to do. She kneels down next to Johnny, cradles the back of his head and sets him down on her lap, angling him so the blood doesn't go near his throat. He coughs into the rag over his mouth. 

“Johnny, hey, I’m right here. You're gonna be fine.” The cameras are eating up what they're catching, and she hates it. His eyes open rather slowly, and she runs a hand into his hair. Quite aggressively, she rips the rag from the hand of the ref, blotting Johnny’s mouth and chin to clean him up. “You're okay, you’ve seen worse. It's just a little blood.”

Johnny gives a small hum, catching a good look at Maxine above him, the spotlight above her gives her a halo-like glow that he thinks is oddly prophetic. “Hey,” he mumbles, reaching up and laying his hand on top of her own. “I can stand.”

“You think so? I’m not gonna rush you, but they're definitely getting mad that we’re holding up the show.”

“Yeah, I got it. Just help me.” Johnny takes the rag from her, and she holds his head up as he sits up slowly. Maxine rises to her feet, her grip on his arms acting as a support to him. He holds onto the ring apron when he can reach it, and she stabilizes him until he makes it up.

“Not too shabby. Are you sure you need my help?” She laughs, and he wobbles over to nudge her side. Maxine grabs his arm and puts it over her shoulder, making sure he doesn't fall over. 

“I think they got all of that on tape.” Maxine says as they make it backstage, passing by Derrick and Kaitlyn. She glares the sharpest daggers she ever could at him. 

“You think so? I know they were filming, but they could have stopped.”

“Are you kidding?” She shakes her head. If there was anything that this company ate up, it was drama. “This is just what they wanted. I wouldn't be shocked if Regal paid Derrick to fuck you up so he could get something like this out of us.”

Johnny wipes his mouth with the rag, his hand on Maxine’s shoulder gives a little squeeze. She looks up at him, watches him throw the rag in the nearest garbage can. She doesn't bother to tell him that he didn't have to throw it out, the moment long passed. “You’ve got a good point.”

“When don't I?” Maxine uses her foot to push open a door to the locker room, thankful that it’s been cleared out. She leads him to a bench, sitting them both down and turning his face toward her. “Is it just a surface injury or did you kill the last few brain cells you have left?”

“Who are you again? I can't seem to remember.” Maxine gives him a small shove, shaking her head at him. It could have been much worse than it was, which she’s thankful it isn't. Knowing their contract, if it was any worse, she would have been spending her night in a hospital chair. She finds it quite odd that she wouldn't mind all that much. 

“No, you’re fine. You’ve stopped bleeding too, thank God. I think I got some on my gear.”

“That's a you problem, angel face. I didn't put my head in your lap.”

“Yeah, I know. And you don't tell anybody that I did that.” Johnny laughs, a hearty laugh straight from his stomach. 

“It's probably on camera. They all saw you. You were worried about me.” Johnny pokes Maxine’s upper arm and she pushes his hands off of her. “Come on, would it kill you to admit you got worried? It's not like it's the end of the goddamn world. I’m not about to yell to the heavens, ‘Hey world! Maxine Perez was really worried about me!’” 

Her look is lethal, one that he’s so intimately familiar with that he cracks up at it rather than be intimidated by it. 

“Shut up. I wasn't worried about you. I just don't need to be wasting my night stuck beside you because you got yourself beaten up.” She crosses her arms over her chest, turning her attention away from him. Johnny reaches over, pressing two fingers gently to her chin and turning her head to face him. “What the hell are you doing?”

“It's just us in here, babe, nobody’s gonna care if you prove that you’ve got at least a little bit of a heart.” Maxine’s gaze is steely, harsh and a little forgiving, which is a look that Johnny isn't quite ready to stomach. 

And Maxine kisses him, her hands on either side of his face. Johnny knows their kisses used to be performative, meant to instill jealousy in people who could only dream of having a relationship that good. Maxine always led them, messy and possessive, nothing but an charade. This isn't like that. Maxine kisses him with a kindness he doesn't quite understand, pad of her thumb brushing his cheek. One hand rests on her waist, the other hangs beside him, unsure as to what to do like he never kissed a girl before.

It's over sooner than it started, and Maxine rises to her feet, offering a hand to him. “Come on, we don't have all night. I’m tired, and I want to change out of this gear. And you should maybe do another scrub of your face too.”

Johnny doesn't ask any questions, mostly because he knows that's the surefire way to really piss her off. He learned a long time ago to not question what Maxine does. She has a reason for everything. All with such confidence that it's exciting again. 

He puts his hand in hers, fingers intertwined like they hadn't been quite literally attached at the wrist. For the first time in months, their hands touch, and they both can't find anything to complain about. 


End file.
